you could try calling sprint, and ask them. some companies, have special collection depts, that handle these types of issues. but, be sure to ask if they actually sold the account, or is the ca(collection agency) is just handeling it, since there apparently is a difference. and, even when talking to the oc, make sure you are speaking with someone who actually knows what they are talking about, and not just the csr, because alot of times they don't even know what you're talking about, they may just see that it was sent to collections, and say talk to them, not knowing if the ca is just collecting on the account or if it was actually sold. but, it can't hurt to ask. and ask, if they will take payment, in exchange for removing it from collections if it hasn't been sold yet. sometimes, however, even in this case, the ca will still mark the account paid, even though you didn't pay them. i'm dealing with this myself, so it's not fool proof, and you may still have to go through some extra steps. i know some people say to get a letter from the oc, detailing that they will remove it from your credit reports, but in my experience, only 1 actually did this, the rest said they could not send me a letter, but instead gave me a confirmation number.
